


The Knight of the King

by star54kar



Series: Knight of the King [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Body Modification, Canon-Typical Violence, Captured, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MT Prompto Argentum, Mute Prompto Argentum, Recovery, Rescue, Temporary Character Death, Time Travel Fix-It, non graphic reference to torture, prisoners of war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 05:01:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26930062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/star54kar/pseuds/star54kar
Summary: Shiva smiled indulgently at him in the face of his insolence and stated, “You love him.”It wasn’t a question, so Prompto reigned in his annoyance and confirmed in a much more respectful manner, “I do. More than anything.”Shiva’s smile broadened slyly as she asked, “What would you give to save him?”Prompto’s eyes opened comically wide. Was Shiva actually serious? After all this time, was there still a way for him to save Noct? Composing himself, Prompto answered, “Anything.”
Relationships: Noctis Lucis Caelum & Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Knight of the King [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2040574
Comments: 104
Kudos: 274
Collections: Promptis Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2020 Promptis Big Bang. This is my first time participating in a Big Bang event and I sincerely hope that you enjoy the story. A million thanks to the incredibly gifted Aiko, who created the stunning and hauntingly beautiful artwork that is featured in this story. Please be sure to give her tons of love for her work on Twitter because it was an honor to work with her and I seriously will never be able to thank her enough! 
> 
> https://twitter.com/aiko_lpez

It was a crystal clear night. 

The stars shone brightly in the sky without a single cloud to diminish the glow of their radiance. As he always did on his late night pilgrimages, Prompto made sure to look up as he strolled and took the time to appreciate their heavenly glow. It had been nearly a year since Noctis’ sacrifice, but even after all this time, the stars were a welcome and deeply appreciated sight. The twinkling light of the stars overhead served as both a reminder and a promise to every citizen of Eos that the dawn would never again fail to rise in the morning. 

Fresh pain echoed in his heart at the thought and Prompto murmured softly to himself as he wished with all his might, “If only it all hadn’t come at such a horrible cost.”

The Citadel guards opened the doors to Prompto as he approached without the slightest hesitation. By now they were used to his late night restlessness leading him here, regardless of the lateness of the hour. They saluted him as he passed and Prompto gave them a small nod of acknowledgement as he strode purposefully past them, down the hallowed halls, and into the sacred space. 

Considering how much time he spent here, it was strange to recall that there was a time, despite his association with Noctis, that Prompto had been forbidden entry into the Citadel. That felt like an entire lifetime ago despite it only being a little over a decade. So much had changed since the carefree days of his youth. Prompto now held the highest security clearance in the nation and was one of only three people with a key to the looming doors of the room he now stood before...the final resting place of the last King of Lucis.

Prompto unlocked the door and silently slipped inside the former throne room, the entirety of which had been converted into a royal tomb befitting the King of Light. His footsteps were the only sound that echoed throughout the space, shattering the ominous silence as he approached the stone casket where it had been placed at the base of the stairs leading up to the empty throne. The lid of the casket, like his ancestors before him, bore a statue in the image of Noctis’ likeness and as always, the sight of it brought a fresh wave of grief to wreak havoc in Prompto’s soul.

This was his safe space; the only place where Prompto allowed himself the luxury of wallowing in his ever present misery. Everyday, Prompto walked tall and presented a composed front to the world as he worked tirelessly with Ignis and Gladio on various reconstruction projects throughout Lucis and beyond. Noctis once dreamed of breaking down the borders, and creating a peaceful world in which everyone could live, so Prompto had dedicated his life to seeing the fulfillment of that dream. They were fast approaching the first anniversary of the Return of the Dawn, and they had come a long way, but the scars the decade of darkness had left behind would be with them all for a very long time to come. 

Prompto fell to his knees before the grave the same way he had done almost every night since the reconstruction of the Citadel was completed and Noctis was laid to rest. No matter how much time had passed, the weight of his loss and the pain never seemed to lessen. Tears began to flow, and Prompto bowed his head and allowed himself to become lost in his grief, silently crying before Noctis’ grave. 

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed as he grieved. It could have been minutes or it could have been hours. Nothing else mattered as Prompto cried out all of the pain and frustration at the unfairness of it all. That the man he loved more than anything wasn’t here to share in the joys of the world he had fought and died for. 

“I miss you,” Prompto whispered through his tears. “I miss you so much, Noct.”

The air of the tomb abruptly grew frigid and Prompto raised his head in alarm just in time to see Shiva appear in a bright burst of light. She was in her Astral form, Prompto noted, appearing before him as the goddess she was, and not as the messenger with whom he once made a casual acquaintance. 

Irritated but resigned by her intrusion of his grieving ritual, Prompto rose to his feet and asked tiredly, “Why are you here, Shiva?”

“Your grief resounds throughout the heavens, Knight of the King,” Shiva said as she hovered before him. “The waves of it can be felt from the most distant star.”

_Good_ , Prompto thought bitterly. 

He was glad that the Astrals could feel his grief to the point where one had felt the need to get up off of her celestial ass long enough to try and deal with it. It may not have been the smartest thing he could have done in the presence of a deity that he knew for a fact could freeze him to death with a mere thought, but Prompto lost his patience and snapped, “Well, unless you plan on giving Noctis back to me then you’re just going to have to deal with my grief.”

Shiva smiled indulgently at him in the face of his insolence and stated, “You love him.” 

It wasn’t a question, so Prompto reigned in his annoyance and confirmed in a much more respectful manner, “I do. More than anything.”

Shiva’s smile broadened slyly as she asked, “What would you give to save him?”

Prompto’s eyes opened comically wide. Was Shiva actually serious? After all this time, was there still a way for him to save Noct? Composing himself, Prompto answered, “Anything.”

Shiva nodded as if she had been expecting that answer and then cautioned, “The price is a high one.”

Prompto didn’t think anything could change his mind, but for the sake of at least knowing what he was getting himself into he asked, “What is the cost?”

Shiva’s smile faded to a serious expression as she revealed, “To save the life of the King of Light, you must sacrifice the life you have lived with the King.”

Prompto furrowed his brow in confusion as he tried to puzzle out what Shiva meant. Why the hell did the Astrals always have to speak in riddles? “What do you mean?” he asked, “Like I’d get to go back in time and change things only Noct wouldn’t know who I am?”

“To lift the burden of the King’s sacrifice, your life must follow a far different path than the one you have led,” Shiva clarified. “One filled with pain, hardship and isolation.”

A shrill, cold, chill of fear ran down Prompto’s spine far greater than any that the Glacian could condure as he realized, “I’d be an MT.”

Shiva nodded, “You would suffer greatly should you choose this course. To aid the King is to lose the King and all that you have shared together.”

Prompto hesitated. Horror aside at the thought of living his life as an MT, it was critical that he understood all of the angles. He needed to figure out the catch before he agreed to anything so he asked, “Would I have my memories?”

Shiva nodded, “You shall retain all your knowledge of this existence and all that has come to pass.”

“If I choose this... Noct would still have Iggy and Gladio, right?”

“In the absence of the King’s Knight, the Hand of the King would still guide him, and the Shield of the King would still shield him.”

Relief filled his heart at Shiva’s answer and he replied, “That’s good.” The last thing Prompto wanted was for his choice to interfere with the others. It was bad enough knowing what it would mean for himself, but he didn’t want to bring Noct back into a world where he would be alone.

“Consider carefully,” Shiva cautioned again. “Your choice, young Knight, once made, cannot be undone.”

Prompto looked down at the cold stone statue of Noctis and knew in his heart that there was no question what choice he would make. He laid his hand gently atop the stone hand, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, Prompto met Shiva’s appraising gaze with determination. “I meant what I said. I would do anything to save Noctis. If being an MT is the price that I have to pay for his life to be spared, then so be it. I’m prepared to pay that price.”

Shiva smiled serenely as she glided over to Prompto. “Sleep then, brave Knight, and when you awaken a new start will be upon you.” 

She placed an icy kiss on his forehead and as the urge to sleep overcame him, Prompto’s last act in the world as he had always known was to collapse against the burial shroud of the king who had died for the survival of the entire world, and fall asleep in the tomb of the man he loved.

*******

No sooner had Prompto closed his eyes, he blinked them open and suddenly found himself standing on a very familiar rooftop. He was twenty years old again, wearing the special Crownsguard fatigues that he had recently earned as an official member of Noctis’ retenue. He ran a hand across his suddenly smooth chin and glanced up at the night sky. This might be a dream, but Prompto followed the steps of his memories in the hopes that they would lead him exactly where he thought they would.

Prompto rounded the corner and there, sitting on the edge of the Motel roof and looking up at the night sky was Noctis. Prompto’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of him. This was a dream and this might be all in his head, but it was no mere reflection of memory. Noctis might be wearing his twenty year old self's face but there wasn’t a doubt in Prompto’s mind that this was still _his_ Noctis.

His feet moved of their own accord and he moved to sit beside Noctis on the edge of the roof.

Noctis turned to meet his eyes and pinned him with the most kingly glare Prompto had ever seen grace his features as he said in a deadly calm tone of voice, “You are an idiot, Prom.”

Prompto let out a startled, nervous laugh in response and said, “Well...hello to you too, buddy.”

“No seriously,” Noctis insisted. Repressed emotion began to sneak into the cracks of Noctis’ voice as he continued, “You’re an idiot. A stupid, self sacrifical idiot.”

“Hey, you’re one to talk!” Prompto reacted defensively.

“You erased yourself!” Noctis shouted furiously. Tears were visible in the corners of his eyes as he exasperatedly demanded, “Tell me Prom, in what universe could you possibly think that this would ever be something that I wanted for you?”

“I know that you wouldn’t,” Prompto admitted softly.

“Then why?” Noctis exploded. “Why sacrifice everything for a man who has been dead and gone for almost a year?” With his burst of anger finally spent, Noctis deflated and said sadly, “I’m not worth this.”

“You’re worth everything,” Prompto insisted before adding with a deceivingly lighthearted jest, “Come on Noct, you know that I’m eM-Tee, without you.”

Noctis stared at him for a moment in horrified shock before he stuttered, “That’s not funny!”

Prompto replied seriously, “I know. But it’s true.”

Noctis shook his head and sighed, “It’s too late to change anything and I don’t want to fight with you.” 

Prompto knew that he was dreaming, that this wasn’t real. Noctis was dead and gone unless Prompto managed to change things when he woke up. But Prompto also couldn’t stand to see Noctis hurting, dream, hallucination, or not. He reached out to Noctis, cupping his cheek and was surprised that he felt solid under his hand.

Noctis leaned into his touch like he was starved for it and whimpered, “We don’t have much time. You’re going to wake up soon and it's going to hurt.”

“It’s okay,” Prompto reassured.

“No it's not,” Noctis said sadly, “but this is important, Prom. You need to promise me. Promise me that no matter what those bastards do to you, no matter how alone you feel, that you won’t forget who you are.”

“I won’t forget.”

Noctis kissed Prompto fiercely, desperately, and Prompto willingly lost himself in the sensation before pulling back to look him in the eye. Noctis’ eyes flashed fiercely, like a blue fire that burned straight into his soul as he declared, “You are and will always be Prompto Argentum, and I love you. Please, Prom, I need you to remember how much I will always love you.”

“I love you too, Noct and I promise,” Prompto vowed and he surged forward to meet Noctis’ lips one final time to seal the pact with a kiss. He pulled back with a pained gasp as his entire body suddenly erupted in pain. His vision began to fade into darkness and the last thing he saw before everything went completely black was Noctis’ mournful expression.


	2. Chapter 2

As Prompto emerged from his dream he had the strange sensation of weightlessness as physical agony echoed throughout his entire body. His eyes shot open but the light was so painful that he immediately closed them again. He felt as if he were falling backwards from an endless height and that he might never reach the bottom. He tried to scream as the pain intensified but no sound escaped his aching throat, leaving him silent in his suffering.

Gentle cool, arms enveloped his armor clad body from behind, easily catching him and stopping his seemingly eternal fall.

_ “Blessed stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness’ blight.” _

At the sound of those words sweet relief from the agonizing pain swept throughout Prompto’s tortured body and he slowly became more aware of his surroundings. He was lying on a comfortable bed, and encased from head to toe in heavy armor. Slowly he cracked open his eyes and found the light was tolerable enough to slowly blink them open. Prompto startled in surprise and was utterly stunned as he realized that Lady Lunafreya herself was sitting at his bedside, looking at him with acute concern.

“Easy now,” Lunafreya said gently as she moved to assist Prompto into a seated position. “My name is Luna and I assure you that you are safe here.”

Prompto tried to thank Luna for whatever she had done to ease his pain but the words would not form, and all that he managed to utter was a soft string of incomprehensible sounds.

“I am sorry,” Luna said sympathetically. “Whilst I was able to clear your body of the Starscourge that ravaged it, I believe that your vocal cords have been damaged. My skills as a healer are more limited than those that my Mother was once capable of and I’m afraid that I have done all that I can.”

Prompto nodded his acceptance. It was perhaps for the best that he could not speak. If he had the ability, he might not have been able to stop himself from confessing too much and altering the timeline in ways he was not supposed to. 

Luna seemed to somehow devine some aspects of his position anyway as she murmured sympathetically, “The Gods surely have exacted from you a terrible price.”

They had, but it was a price that Prompto was willing to pay, regardless of what became of himself in the end. The chance to save Noctis was worth  _ everything. _ Now that he was more awake, Prompto became aware of a multitude of additional senses streaming to his brain in a technical and mechanical way. 

He was intimately aware of the precise distance between Luna and himself right down to the millimeter. The angles of the room, the movement of the air, all of these details flowed naturally into his mind. If he had a gun in his hand, all of these details would make calculating a perfect shot take less than a fraction of a second in his mind.

Without warning, Prompto let out a soundless gasp of air as he abruptly became aware of an old familiar connection. A sensation he hadn’t felt in almost a year. 

“What is it?” Luna asked in concern. “Are you still experiencing any pain?”

Prompto shook his head and decided then and there that if he could trust anyone with even a fraction of his secrets, then Luna would be it. He reached toward that old sensation. It felt like an old limb that had suddenly been re-attached, but he recalled the motions easily, reaching out his hand and grasping at the magic that had always connected him to Noctis.

His precious camera, once thought lost to him forever, came effortlessly to his grasp, and he cradled it gently in his metallic encased hands.

Luna gasped in surprise at the action and said breathlessly, “You are connected to the magic of Lucian Kings.”

Prompto nodded slowly and attempted to switch on the camera with trembling, awkward fingers. It powered up easily and Prompto scrolled through the memory card and was stunned to see that all of the pictures he had taken in his former existence remained. Tears sprung to his eyes behind his masked helmet and he paused on a picture of Noctis. Young, carefree, and unburdened with the trials of his life yet to come, Noctis had smiled softly at the camera and indulged Prompto’s compulsion to document the moment.

Prompto turned the camera around so that Luna could see the screen and he saw her eyes alight with understanding.

“I knew you were important when Gentiana personally brought you to me for healing, but I hadn’t expected this,” Luna said slowly. “You belong with Noctis.”

Prompto shook his head sadly. Not anymore. That was the price he had willingly paid and he would willingly pay it a million times over if it meant that Noctis would be alive, happy, and safe in the end.

Luna was incredibly perceptive despite their limited means of communication and nodded as she confidently stated, “You’re here to help him.”

Prompto nodded.

Luna vowed, “Then I shall do everything in my power to aid you.”

She handed the camera gently back to Prompto, who reluctantly powered the device down after one final glance at Noctis and returned it safely to the Armiger. 

“Are you able to write?” Luna asked gently.

Prompto was uncertain so he shrugged as a reply.

Luna nodded and got up to fetch a pen and notebook from the small desk in a corner of the room. She handed them to Prompto and encouraged, “Why don’t you give it a try?”

It was slow and awkward to maneuver the pen correctly in his armored gloves but he managed to write a short message in shaky penmanship.

_ I once fought at Noctis’ side. He is dear to me, but the price for the chance to save his life was to give up ever knowing him or being a part of his life. _

Luna’s eyes widened and she gasped, “You come from a world that has seen the Prophecy fulfilled.”

Again, Prompto nodded.

“I can get you installed in my brother’s personal MT unit that is exclusively under his command.” Luna offered. “I trust him implicitly with all my secrets and he has knowledge of the Prophecy. Although he walks a dangerous line in his position with the Empire, Ravus undertakes that burden in an effort to protect me to the best of his ability.” 

Prompto hesitated, but Luna’s words matched up with the impression of Ravus that Ignis had once shared with him during the long night. 

_ Ravus Nox Fleuret was a misunderstood man, caught in circumstances beyond his control, who did his best to protect his sister from a seat of power within the heart of the Empire. _

Sensing Prompto's hesitation she added, “I will not break your confidence if you decide against it, but if we enlighten Ravus to the truth of your mission, he would be able to aid you and ensure that you can be in the right place at the right time to adjust the events you were sent to intervene in.”

Prompto took a deep breath and took a leap of faith. He trusted Luna. He trusted Ignis, and he trusted that Shiva would not bring him here only to set him up to fail before he had even begun. For all of those reasons, Prompto would accept the risk of trusting Ravus and he slowly nodded his agreement.

Luna smiled at him delightedly. She truly was a remarkable woman and while he knew that he must appear the same as any MT unit, she had treated him like a person and was completely without fear. The irony wasn’t lost on him that it was in losing Noctis completely and utterly that Prompto finally had the chance to meet the woman who had originally set them on the path to them becoming friends in the first place.

“What is your name?” Luna asked. 

Prompto thought for a moment and the words Noctis had spoken in his dream echoed throughout his consciousness.

_ You are and will always be Prompto Argentum, and I love you. _

Prompto knew who he was. He knew who he always would be, but for some reason, Prompto was reluctant to give Luna his proper name. It was something that not even the Six could take away from him, his true identity, even if he never chose to use it again. He was in a new world. It only seemed right that he should take on a new name.

Decision made, Prompto carefully dragged the pen across the paper and wrote out the words.

_ Call me Quicksilver. _


	3. Chapter 3

Noctis stared vacantly out the open passenger side window as they drove, lost in the sea of his turbulent emotions. His father was dead. His fiancee and himself were declared the same. His home and kingdom had been stolen from him while he’d slept blissfully unaware at a seaside resort. They had the top of the car up for safety in the wake of the invasion of Insomnia. He probably shouldn’t even have had the window open but Noctis desperately needed the air. 

There was nowhere to go. Nowhere that was truly safe for them. He was a displaced prince, a fugitive in his own nation, with no one he could rely on, save for the few loyal Crownsguard who escaped the attack and his own personal retinue. 

As if sensing how Noctis’ thoughts and emotions were beginning to overwhelm him, Ignis as always was a steadying force: casually reaching out a hand as he drove and placed it on Noctis’ knee, grounding him in the moment, and preventing him from drowning in the cascade of thoughts screaming in his mind. He placed his hand on top of Ignis’ and squeezed gently, grateful for the silent comforting lifeline that his brother offered.

Ignis had always been there for him, ever since they were small children. He was his best friend and Noctis honestly considered Ignis to be his brother in everything but actual blood. Gladio grunted as he shifted in the back seat behind them and Noctis focused on the sound. While he wasn’t nearly as close with Gladio as he was with Ignis, his Shield’s solid presence was also a comfort in this new world they found themselves navigating. He may have lost everything else but Noctis was grateful to still have Ignis and Gladio with him. Two strong and sturdy anchors in the chaotic sea to keep him from floating adrift.

“We’re practically running on fumes,” Ignis mused aloud. “We’ll never make it to Lestallum without a stop.”

“Fine,” Gladio chimed in from the back seat. “Better stay in the car with me though, Princess. The fewer people who see you right now, the better.”

Noctis sighed but didn’t comment, continuing to stare out the window as if the world outside could somehow come up with a solution to all of his problems. 

They stopped at the next gas station they came across and although Noctis longed to get out of the car to stretch his legs, he obediently remained in the car with Gladio while Ignis stepped inside the shop to pay for their fuel and to see what intelligence he could gather from the local population.

“Roll up the window until we get moving again,” Gladio ordered without so much as looking up from the book he was reading.

Sighing once again, Noctis obeyed, and once the window was closed, he leaned his head up against the tinted glass. He closed his eyes, feeling the heat of the sun as it began to warm the glass of the window and wished that he could simply wake up from this living nightmare. Instead, he chose to doze until Ignis returned from the shop with an Ebony, a couple of candy bars, and a newspaper.

“There have been multiple reports of a rogue MT that was aiding the people in the evacuation during the attack on Insomnia,” Ignis reported as he handed the candy to Noctis and the newspaper to Gladio. “We are uncertain of its motives but the people have been calling it Quicksilver on account of it’s unusual choice of weapon. It appears to be skilled with the pistol and acting under its own autonomy rather than that of the Empire.”

“Maybe its targeting system went haywire,” Gladio huffed as he began to scroll the newspaper’s headlines. “More likely it was just a busted machine that in a lucky coincidence took out a couple of its own. Those things don’t think or go rogue, they just do what they’re programmed to do unless they’re stopped.”

“That’s what I’ve always believed as well, Gladio,” Ignis agreed. “Still, the tales being told by the local populace are remarkably consistent. They all state that lives were saved due to the actions of an MT that was skillfully wielding a quicksilver pistol and was actively engaging other MT’s in combat in the defense of Insomnian civilians escaping the city during the attack.

“Well,” Noctis chimed in, “whether it was a broken machine or a rogue MT, it saved lives. That’s a good thing.”

Gladio put down the newspaper and sat back in his seat with his arms folded defensively against his chest. “I’m glad it worked out for the people it ended up helping, but it's an MT. If I see one, I’m putting it down, no questions asked.”

Noctis rolled his eyes. “No one was asking you not to take out any attacking MT’s.”

“Indeed,” Ignis chimed in. “Still if there does happen to be a beneficial one running around out there, it would be prudent to perhaps not dispose of it until we can uncover why it is behaving the way that it does. If the flaw could be replicated, it could potentially save hundreds of lives in the conflict to come.”

“Yeah, yeah, Iggy,” Gladio replied dismissively. “On the off chance I see one actively taking out its own unit instead of us, I’ll let you take a look at it before I kill it.”

Ignis reasoned, “We are still talking in hypotheticals, but regardless, Gladio, your restraint should we encounter this unusual MT would be appreciated.”

As Gladio and Ignis continued to bicker, Noctis tuned everything out but the comforting sound of their voices. He leaned his head back against the tinted glass and drifted off to sleep for the remainder of the drive.

*******

It was almost nightfall by the time that they finally arrived in Lestallum. Despite sleeping for a good portion of the journey, Noctis was exhausted. The intense heat of the city, despite the late hour of the day certainly didn’t help matters either. He wore his casual outfit to try and remain under the radar. His cap was pulled low over his dark hair in an attempt to disguise his face, but he discarded his big puffy jacket within moments of exiting the car. It was way too stifling and the last thing he needed was to pass out from a heat stroke.

Noctis stuck close to Ignis who put a comforting hand on his back as they navigated the winding city streets, looking for the Leville Hotel. They got turned around more than once, losing their way in the maze like twists and turns of the street. They paused for some skewers from a street vendor, which Noctis ate ravenously. He hadn’t even realized how hungry he was until he’d begun eating, but the moment the spicy grilled meat hit his tongue, his stomach abruptly reminded him just how little he’d eaten in the aftermath of the past couple of days. Without comment, Ignis purchased him a couple more skewers, which Noctis savored at a slower pace this time as they continued their wanderings.

When they finally found the hotel, Noctis suddenly found himself crippled by an intense pain that felt like his head was being stabbed from the inside out. He nearly crumbled to his knees but Gladio caught him before he could completely topple over and Ignis urgently ushered the two of them inside. Noctis was led to sit down on the couch in the lobby and Ignis sat beside him while Gladio reunited with his sister.

“Are you alright, Noct?” Ignis asked, his face the perfect picture of concern.

Noctis shook the lingering pain off now that the worst of it had passed. “I’m fine now, Specs.” 

Ignis didn’t quite look convinced, “Are you certain?”

“Don’t worry,” Noctis insisted. “It's just a headache. Let me flop onto a hotel bed and I’ll sleep it off.”

Ignis looked like he was going to argue the matter further but was interrupted when Iris and Gladio walked over to join them. 

“Iris says that Jared already arranged a room for us,” Gladio said gruffly. “We should head up for the night and regroup.”

Noctis nodded, rose to his feet unaided despite the lingering pain in his head and followed Iris up to their room. He was more than ready to call it a night. After a heavy conversation with Iris about their escape from the fall of Insomnia, Noctis headed to bed, and as he drifted off to sleep, his dreams were oddly dominated by the sight of what appeared to be an ordinary MT unit, wielding a quicksilver pistol and covering the escape of hundreds of civilians as they fled for their lives in the face of the might of the Imperial Empire.


	4. Chapter 4

Prompto lingered in a dark alleyway of Lestallum and waited. He wasn’t completely sure of the timeline at this point but he knew that sometime between the time that Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis left with Ardyn to confront Titan and the time that they’d returned to Lestallum, the Empire had gotten their hands on Jared and executed him after he refused to give up any information on Noctis.

One benefit of his MT modiciations was that Prompto didn’t need to sleep. He was constantly vigilant and alert to his surroundings without ever feeling tired. He could sleep for a specified amount of time if he so chose, and when he wasn’t engaged in combat he often did, but right now, the fact that he didn’t need to was a blessing. He darted from dark, unoccupied corner to dark, unoccupied corner of the city, constantly patrolling and remained out of sight.

He slunk deeper into the shadows as he heard a phrase that he casually remembered being uttered by a random passerby on the street from his first lifetime as the general population adjusted to their new lives under Imperial rule. “I saw a Magiteck Trooper the other day. Those things are downright unsettling.” Prompto couldn’t help the shiver that ran down his spine at the words and he held his breath as he continued to dart around the city while remaining out of sight. 

For days this went on, Prompto patrolling Lestallum while constantly taking in slew of information from his enhanced senses until he finally heard over the rustle and bustle of the city the unmistakable voice of Caligo Ulldor. “Now where are you going in such a hurry, young man?”

“Sorry, sir,” Talcott apologized. “I didn’t mean to run into you. I just need to be getting back to my grandfather at The Leville.”

“Oh, are you here on vacation?” Ulldor inquired. 

“No sir, but we’ll be staying there while we wait to find somewhere else to go.” 

“I see, well, don’t let me keep you, boy.”

Prompto jumped into action as he stealthily made his way across the city. He snuck from an alleyway into an employee entrance at the rear of the hotel and ran frantically up the stairs when he heard Iris scream. “Please! Let him go! We don’t know anything!”

Desperate not to be too late, with both his quicksilver and death penalty pistols ready in his hands, Prompto stormed into the room. The room was already full of a handful of MT soldiers and Ulldor didn’t so much as look up from his interrogation as another MT entered the room, because after all why would he? Ulldor held Jared up against the wall with a sharp knife pressed threateningly against the old man’s throat while Iris huddled helplessly in a corner of the room with Talcott cradled protectively in her arms. 

Prompto didn’t hesitate. He shot Ulldor straight through the head, the knife falling harmlessly from his grasp as the lifeless body dropped heavily to the floor. Five quick and efficient shots later, and all of the other MTs were lying on the ground as dead as their commander.

Jared coughed and sputtered as he leaned up against the wall for support, looking at Prompto in dazed disbelief. Iris sat on the floor staring at him in terror, her arms tightening around Talcott while the boy merely stared at him in shock.

Prompto holstered his guns, the look of horror on Iris and the almost blank expression on Talcott’s faces cut him as sharply as the knife that, in another timeline, had ended Jared’s life. He turned from them, about to leave, when at the last second he remembered something. Quickly and quietly, Prompto summoned the small marble cactuar figurine that Noctis had found for Talcott back in Altissia but never had the opportunity to give to him. Then he turned back to the terrified group of people he once considered his friends and slowly, with his hand outstretched in a peaceful gesture of surrender, he cautiously approached Talcott.

“Please, don’t hurt us!” Iris begged as Prompto drew closer, hiding her face against Talcott's shoulder as she gripped him even tighter.

Talcott, however, while he was obviously still frightened, was looking at Prompto questioningly.

Prompto went down on one knee in front of Talcott and opened his hand to offer him the cactuar figurine. 

Talcott reached out and took the figure with trembling hands and quietly mumbled, “Thank you.”

Prompto felt tears begin to well up in his eyes behind his mask and he nodded once before rising to his feet and quickly exited the room as swiftly as he’d come in. He didn’t even bother with stealth as he fled the Leville. It didn't matter who saw him now so he walked straight out the front door, heedless of who saw him along the way. He activated his tracker as soon as he left the city and headed towards Ravus and the Imperial stronghold where he should soon be running into the guys when they attempted to recover the Regalia. His mission was accomplished, Jared was safe, and Talcott wouldn’t have to grow up in a harsh world without his grandfather to guide him.

Prompto still had a long way to go, but with even with this one, seemingly insignificant life that he'd managed to save, Prompto knew that the price he had paid to get here was worth it. 


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a very long couple of weeks and Noctis was utterly exhausted. He’d gained the favor of Titan and Ramuh, collected several royal arms, and finally recovered the Regalia from Imperial hands. The Chancellor of Niflheim, for all of his supposed help, was making him exceedingly uneasy. He wasn’t quite sure what the guy’s angle was and Noctis didn’t trust him.

Making matters worse was how rattled and irritable Gladio had become after their unnerving confrontation with Ravus at the Imperial stronghold. Although Noctis knew that Gladio tended to process difficult emotions through anger, it didn’t make putting up with Gladio’s foul moods any easier. All of them were struggling but while Noctis tended to butt heads with Gladio even during the best of times, he knew it was really bad when even Ignis was beginning to lose his patience with Gladio’s constant lashing out at the two of them. 

When they finally arrived back at Lestallum, all Noctis wanted was a hot shower, a meal, and to sleep for a week in a nice hotel bed, preferably in that order. What they walked into instead was an utter shit show. Of course the Empire had to show up while they were gone and threaten the lives of the fragile remains of Gladio’s family on top of everything else.

“It was my fault, Prince Noctis,” Talcott said solemnly as he clutched a marble cactuar figurine tightly in his hands. “I ran into the man in the marketplace and I talked to him. He asked me if I was on vacation and I said no, but I didn’t say anything about you. I didn’t know he was a bad man, but he must have followed me.”

Tears ran down the small boy’s face as he continued his story, “If it hadn’t been for that strange MT, we might have all been killed.”

“Hey,” Noctis reassured quietly but firmly. “It is not your fault, Talcott. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“By any chance, that MT that intervened, was it using a quicksilver pistol?” Ignis inquired.

Jared answered, “It was actually. A quicksilver and a death penalty.”

“It wasn’t part of the group of MT’s that stormed in with that general,” Iris added. “It came in afterwards. It took out all of the Imperials in seconds and I was so scared that it was going to kill us too.”

“But then it handed me this cactuar and left,” Talcott chimed in thoughtfully. “It was almost like it didn’t want us to be scared.”

“I’d heard rumors of a rogue MT that was mysteriously working outside of the Empire’s agenda, but this certainly confirms it,” mused Ignis. 

“It worked out this time, maybe,” Gladio huffed, “but it's still an MT. It might come back and then who knows what might happen. I’d feel better if we moved you three to Cape Caem. It’s remote and easily defendable.”

“As you wish, Gladio,” Jared agreed readily. “I daresay I’m getting too old for all this excitement.”

“Then if his Highness agrees, we can help to see you safely escorted in the morning,” said Ignis.

  
  


*******

The fight that ignited between himself and Gladio once Iris, Jared and Talcott had all been safely delivered to Cape Caem was the most explosive that Noctis could remember since they were kids. Never mind that he was a displaced Prince who was hiding from an invasion force in his own nation and that Gladio was his Shield who had taken an oath to protect him. Gladio needed to go off on his own and ‘take care of some things’ and Gladio had refused to take no for an answer. 

“Just do what you want,” Noctis shouted after Gladio as he stormed off in a huff, leaving Noctis and Ignis behind. “It’s not like you care about me anyway!”

Then, as soon as Gladio was out of sight, Noctis turned to Ignis and buried himself in his brother’s arms, and sobbed, “What are we going to do now?”

“It will be alright, Noctis,” Ignis soothed as he held Noctis tightly and stroked gently through his hair like he had back when they were children. “Gladio will come around eventually. In the meantime perhaps we could take on some easier tasks. I’m reluctant to hunt any dangerous bounties while we’re a man down but perhaps we could take those pictures that Vyv requested? We could certainly use the Gil.”

Noctis cried on Ignis’ shoulder until his tears eventually ran dry and then answered, “Sure, why not?”

  
  


*******

As soon as they’d handed in the photos to Vyv, they were ambushed.

“Run, Noct!” Ignis managed to shout before he was being used as a human shield with the tip of a gun pressed firmly against his temple.

Noctis refused to run. Instead he pulled out a pistol of his own and aimed it at the arrogant young Imperial who held Ignis’ life in his hands.

“Nothin’ personal your Highness,” Vyv said as he casually walked away from the corner of the Lestallum overlook that served as his office. “Your pictures are good, but not good enough to feature in Meteor Publishing. Invasion or not, I still have a business to run and like the saying goes, if you can’t beat em’, join em’.”

“You’re good, Prince Noctis, ” Loqi said smugly. “But not good enough. Even if you manage to shoot me, you won’t be fast enough to save your friend here from an instant death.”

“Noct,” Ignis begged, his green eyes were wild and desperate and they practically branded Noctis’ soul with the intensity of his stare. “Leave me.”

“What will it be, Prince Noctis?” Loqi taunted. “Will you surrender yourself to me, or shall I shoot him dead before your eyes and then take you as my prisoner anyway?”

Noctis looked at Ignis and he could see his brother’s heart break before his eyes because Ignis knew, he _always_ knew, what Noctis was about to do. He dismissed his weapon in a shower of blue sparks and was instantly forced to his knees by a swarm of MT’s. 

Loqi pistol whipped Ignis, who fell to the ground dazed and was immediately held with his face against the ground by another swarm of MT’s.

  
Noctis didn’t dare struggle as his hands were bound tightly behind him and a gag was forced in his mouth. No matter how much he knew Ignis wouldn’t want this, Noctis couldn’t, and he _wouldn’t_ risk Ignis’ life. At least if they were both captured, they were both still alive, there was still hope, and he prayed to all of the Six that they would both be able to make it out of this. The last thing he saw before a stiff leather bag was thrown over his head and he was dragged away, was Ignis fiercely struggling as he was being similarly bound.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember the "Non Graphic Reference to Torture" tag? This is the chapter that it pertains to. As the tag states, it is not graphic but expect to see Noctis and Ignis being a bit worse for wear in this chapter, courtesy of their Imperial hosts.

Prompto was walking past Ravus’ office on the airship. The Commander appeared to be speaking on the phone but when he saw Prompto, he urgently signaled for him to enter.

“Well, Loqi,” Ravus drawled, “I shall have to come and see this for myself. If what you say is true then you can expect a promotion for your service. Expect my arrival at the base in three hours. I shall expect a full tour of the facility.”

Ravus hung up the phone with a sigh and turned to Prompto with a grave expression. “That idiot King of yours just got himself captured alongside his Advisor. Apparently some magazine publisher sold them out.”

Prompto’s blood ran cold in his veins. He’d forgotten about Vyv! This was a ripple in the timeline that he hadn’t expected when he removed himself from the picture, but it made a horrifying amount of sense. In his first lifetime, Vyv had outright admitted to Noctis that he’d considered selling him out to the Empire considering the attractive bounty on his head, but Prompto’s photography had impressed him so much that he changed his mind. Without Prompto as a part of the group, the photos that they’d taken must not have been impressive enough for Vyv to decide to go his own way and fight against the Empire.

“We’ll arrive at the base where Loqi is holding them in three hours,” Ravus said. “If you station yourself at the back of my MT entourage, you should be able to sneak away once we’re in the corridor. I can keep Loqi busy with trivial matters for approximately an hour or so and it will be up to you to free the captives and sneak them onto my airship in plain sight.”

Prompto nodded his agreement.

“Can you do this, Quicksilver?” Ravus asked in concern. “Once you break off from the main group there will be little that I can do for you if you are caught.”

Up until this point, Prompto had been reasonably sure of how events would play out. This was uncharted territory and he didn’t have the luxury of foreknowledge to help him get Noct and Ignis out of there. He understood the risks but what other choice did he have? Ravus’ plan was Prompto’s best chance of success so he picked up a pen off of Ravus’ desk, and scratched out on a piece of scrap paper in his shaky penmanship.

_Understood._

*******

“Since I’ve come all this way, I expect a full tour of this facility. If what I see is to my liking, then you can conclude the tour by showing me the accommodations of your royal guest.”

The first step of the plan went off without a hitch. There were only a handful of actual human soldiers stationed at this base, none of whom noticed Prompto breaking off from the main group as Ravus barked orders at them. 

With a flick of his barcode, Prompto quickly overrode the security protocols, setting the cameras on a continuous loop. There were two cells that were each being guarded by a pair of MT’s but they were in separate sectors of the detention wing. A quick scan of the logs indicated that Noctis was being held in the East sector while Ignis was being held in the West.

‘Okay…’ Prompto thought to himself as he headed toward the detention wing in the East. ‘I need to save Noct first. First of all, because Iggy would want me to save Noct first, and second of all because I look like any other MT and with Noct captured as well, Iggy is going to be in desperation mode and the second I let him loose he’ll go on a murderous rampage and kill me before I can even attempt to get through to him.’

The guards were quickly dispatched with two quick shots from his pistol and Prompto quickly opened the solid metal door with another quick scan of his barcode. The second he laid eyes on the prisoner, Prompto’s heart dropped into his stomach. 

Noctis was hanging limply from the same torturous, crucifixion style, metal frame that Prompto had become intimately acquainted with in his first lifetime. He’d clearly been beaten, the bruising starkly apparent against Noctis’ pale skin and he had a leather bag over his head.

Prompto quickly removed the two sets of empty Magitek armor and the two Elixirs that he’d stashed in the Armiger and laid them on the ground. He took a deep breath to ground himself, acutely aware that not only was this the first time he had been this close to the man he loved since he’d awoken as an MT in this timeline, but also because of the myriad of ways that this could go wrong. Then, carefully, so as not to spook Noctis, Prompto reached forward and slowly removed the bag from his head.

Noctis blinked at him as his eyes struggled to adjust to the harsh light of the cell and grunted at Prompto weakly through the gag that was tied tightly around his head.

Prompto waited until Noctis was able to focus his eyes and then raised a finger to his mask in an approximation of where his lips were hidden beneath, silently urging him to remain quiet. Noctis stilled at the gesture, recognizing it as being an unusual signal for an MT to make, and didn’t struggle as Prompto gently eased the gag from Noctis’ mouth.

Noctis coughed and licked his dry lips as his mouth was freed and harsh red indentations were left where the tightly fastened fabric of the gag had been cruelly digging into the skin. He looked at Prompto curiously, but he did not shout as Prompto fumbled with the latches holding Noctis fast against the unyielding metal frame.

Noctis cleared his throat and asked with a quiet, raspy voice, “Can you understand me?”

Prompto nodded as he continued to fiddle with the restraints. He vaguely remembered Noctis and the others also having trouble figuring out how to get it to release when he was the one who had been on the receiving end of the Empire’s hospitality.

“Can you speak?” Noctis asked again, his eyes darting down to the holsters containing his two trusty pistols at his side.

Prompto shook his head no and finally figured out how to release the locking mechanism. He managed to catch Noctis and eased him gently to the ground before stepping back to give him a little space.

“Thank you,” Noctis whispered as he tried to ease himself into a more upright position. “You are the Quicksilver, MT that helped save my friends, aren’t you?” 

Prompto nodded and picked up one of the Elixirs and offered it to Noctis. 

Noctis groaned in relief as he crushed it and the superficial wounds from his imprisonment healed instantly, and without a trace. Then when he looked up at Prompto, his eyes were kingly and serious. “They have my friend captive too. I’m not leaving here without him.”

Prompto nodded and gestured to the armor and the remaining Elixir, hoping that Noctis would be able to understand the plan. He breathed a sigh of relief as Noctis figured it out and he quickly vanished one of the suits and the Elixir into his Armiger for Ignis before putting on the other one himself. Then he exited the cell, trusting Noctis to mimic his posture as he led him through the corridors to the West side of the detention wing. 

Again, two rapidly fired bullets later and the guarding MT’s lay piled in a heap outside the door to Ignis’ cell. Prompto scanned his barcode, got the heavy door open, and allowed Noctis to immediately run past him to help their friend. Ignis was in even worse shape than Prompto had found Noctis in. The beating that the Advisor had suffered must have been more brutal than one that the Niffs had graced the Prince with. 

They hadn’t bothered to blind Ignis with a bag over his head like they had with Noctis, but his glasses were missing and his lip was split. A trail of blood and spit was dripping down Ignis’ chin from around the gag. As they approached, Ignis struggled ferociously against the metal frame he was strapped into, like a wild animal trapped in a cage, snarling at them through the gag.

Noctis swiftly pulled his helmet and mask off, revealing himself to Ignis before he could injure himself any further. “It’s okay, Iggy, it's me,” he whispered urgently. “Just give me a minute and I’ll get you down.”

Ignis slumped in his bonds in obvious relief as Noctis quickly pulled the gag free. “Noct? How?”

“Quicksilver,” Noctis answered softly as he fumbled with the latches. He turned toward Prompto and asked, “Can you help with these latches? They’re stuck.”

Prompto stepped forward and Ignis flinched, but Noctis reassured him. “It’s okay, Specs. Quicksilver won’t hurt us. He got me out and helped me to find you.”

Ignis nodded his consent and Prompto, now having figured out the trick of the locking mechanism, swiftly released Ignis from the frame while Noctis caught the Advisor before he could crash to the ground.

Then once Ignis had been healed with the Elixir and dressed in his disguise, Prompto led them straight out of the detention wing and onto the open ramp of Ravus’ airship. As they stood at attention in formation with the other MT soldiers on board they could hear Loqi stuttering at Ravus as they approached the ship.

“I’m telling you, Commander, I had him! I don’t know how they escaped but they were here!”

“Whether you had The Prince of Lucis or not is irrelevant,” Ravus sneered. “The fact of the matter is that if he ever was here, he is no longer here, which means you have wasted my precious time. Once I conclude my business in Altissia, I shall personally be recommending your demotion to the Emperor for your complete and utter incompetence.” 

Then Ravus stormed past the soon to be demoted, arrogant officer onto the ship. He signaled for the door of the ship to be closed behind him. He approached Prompto, Noctis, and Ignis and ordered, “You three, accompany me to my office. The rest of you set our course for Altissia immediately.” Then he turned without another word and Prompto obeyed, hoping that Noctis and Ignis would trust him enough to follow them.


	7. Chapter 7

Noctis followed Quicksilver down the corridor of the airship and into Ravus’ office. There really wasn’t much else that he could do if he didn’t want to blow both his own cover and Ignis’ although at this point, he was terrified that they might have escaped out of the frying pan and into the fire. 

As soon as Ignis had crossed the threshold of the doorway behind Noctis, Ravus said quietly, “Please close the door, Scientia, and then you and his Majesty can remove your disguises. I assure you both that I mean you no harm.”

Ignis turned to Noctis. Both of them were equally confused but Noctis gave his brother his nod of approval. Only then did Ignis close the door and move to remove his masked helmet. Noctis did the same and looked at Ravus questioningly.

“I’m relieved to see that you are alright, and that Quicksilver was able to get you both out of there safely,” Ravus said softly. “I’m sorry for the theatrics but there is only so much I can do if I am to maintain my standing in the Empire and ensure Lunafreya’s continued safety.”

Noctis searched Ravus’ eyes, which were the picture of sincere regret. It was easy to forget how much Ravus had suffered at the hands of the Empire during their anxition of Tennebrae. Looking at the man now, he could see how weary the High Commander was, stripped of his sneering mask for the first time ever in Noctis’ presence.

Ravus was also a displaced Prince of a conquered nation and at this point, Noctis understood a thing or two about struggling to survive amongst the ashes of a fallen kingdom. He nodded and met Ravus’ eyes as an equal as he asked, “So where do we go from here?”

“I intend to deliver you both to my sister in Altissia where she has claimed political asylum. Camelia Claustra, the First Secretary of Accordio, has taken her into her protection. She is willing to host you and your retinue as well.” Ravus paused and added seriously, “Lunafreya believes that you are the one true king spoken of in the Prophecy. She has sworn to aid you as I have sworn to aid her. I walk a dangerous line in disguising my true allegiance while serving the Empire, but it was a necessary evil to ensure that I could be in the right place, at the right time, to mitigate what damage that I can.”

Ravus unsheathed the sword of the fallen King Regis and offered it to Noctis. “I have been keeping this safe for you.”

Noctis closed his hand around the hilt of his father’s sword and choked back the waves of emotion that threatened to bury him. “Thank you, Ravus.”

“How did you get separated from that Shield of yours, Noctis? I can arrange for a ride to pick him up. Aranea Highwind is trustworthy and also helps me to thwart the Empire’s plans from the inside of the belly of the beast.”

“We’ll call him and make sure he’s prepared to make the journey, thank you,” Ignis said stiffly. “Is there a place we might rest? I’m afraid our previous accommodations didn’t not prove to be very relaxing.”

Ravus nodded and pointed to the door on the other side of the office. “That door leads to my private quarters which you may use to rest and refresh yourselves. I have other matters to attend to, but I shall have Quicksilver stand guard to ensure that you remain undisturbed for the duration of the journey. If you need anything please do not hesitate to ask him. Quicksilver is unable to speak but, as I’m sure you’ve already surmised, unlike other MT’s he is sentient and retains his own mind. He would gladly defend either of you with his own life.”

“Thank you again, Ravus,” Noctis said gratefully. “I’ll let Quicksilver know when we get in contact with Gladio.” 

*******

  
  


As soon as they are in the privacy of Ravus’ quarters, Noctis and Ignis both collapse on the bed and huddled closely together for comfort.

Ignis let Noctis see his vulnerability openly in a way that he hadn’t done since they were children, clinging to him and sobbing softly in his relief. 

“Why, Noct?” Ignis gasped through his heart wrenching sobs. “Why didn’t you just leave me? You could have gotten away.”

Noctis cradled Ignis closely to him as he sobbed and murmured fiercely, “For the Six’s sake, Ignis, as far as I’m concerned you’re my brother. Your life is not less important than mine. You’re the only family I have left and if I lost you...well then they’d might as well have killed me too because there wouldn’t have been a point in going on!” 

Noctis lost his battle against his own tears at his admission and clung tightly to his friend. “At least by surrendering I bought us some time. It gave us a chance to escape, and whether you approve of my decision or not I sure as hell wasn’t going to leave you behind! Iggy, I can’t do this without you. I’ve lost everyone else that I love, and I can’t bear to lose you too.”

Ignis didn’t respond, but Noctis knew he was overwhelmed, both by the sentiment and the toil of their ordeal. They lay together in silence there for a long time, taking comfort in the other’s closeness, until their tears were finally spent.

*******

An hour or so later, after they’d both managed to calm down, Ignis put his phone on speaker and managed to contact Gladio.

“I don’t got time for this, Ignis,” Gladio huffed as he answered the phone. “I gotta call you back.”

“Gladiolus Amicitia!” Ignis hissed in a wildly uncharacteristic rage. “I don’t care what you’re doing. While you were off galavanting doing Six knows what, your king and I were captured in the middle of Lestallum in broad daylight, we were brought to an Imperial facility where we were tortured, and the two of us were extremely lucky to have escaped with our _lives_ with help from Ravus of all people!”

“Give me the phone, Ignis,” Noctis said quietly before his brother could fly any further off the rails. He laid his hand over Ignis’, gently pried the phone from his grip and motioned for him to go sit down on the bed. The fact that Ignis obeyed without question was telling of just how emotionally spent he was and Noctis was eager to wrap this up and return his full attention to Ignis.

“Gladio,” Noctis said as calmly as he could manage, “you’re going to receive a call from Aranea Highwind later today. I want you to contact Cor, and prepare for the two of you to be picked up via airship and meet me in Altissia.”

“Cor is with me now,” Gladio said hesitantly.

“Good, that saves time. It's an Imperial ship but you can trust her.”

“Why the hell do you want us to get on an Imperial ship, Noct? You’ve got to be joking.”

“I’m deadly serious, Gladio,” Noctis ordered with steel in his tone. “It's an order. If you still want to be my Shield then when Aranea Highwind picks you up, you better get your ass on that ship.”

Noctis hung up the phone and returned to Ignis where he was sitting on the bed and quietly shaking with rage. “Come on,” he urged gently, “we should lay down for a while longer.”

They clung to each other until Ignis finally stopped shaking and the two of them finally gave into their exhaustion to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Tension was thick in the air as they all reunited in Altissia.

While Prompto was happy to see Luna again and was relieved to have Noctis and Ignis somewhere where they could recover from their recent captivity safely, the peace had been shattered when Gladio and Cor arrived on the scene. 

Gladio, as per usual, was ill prepared to deal with the emotional fallout of the fact that not only had he failed to protect Noctis and Ignis, that he hadn’t even been aware that they had been captured while he was off on a quest to become more powerful. Prompto wasn’t surprised that he’d immediately lashed out at the nearest convenient target, which in this case happened to be him.

Despite the role Prompto had played in rescuing Noctis and Ignis, he was moved by how quickly both of them moved to his defense considering how little interaction he’d had with them so far. Prompto knew that Ignis could be vicious when provoked, but he’d never seen Ignis quite this unhinged and it was truly a sight to behold. It was Noctis, who reigned them both in, appearing the king that he was always meant to be as he soothed their tempers to the point where both of them could co-exist in the same space.

While this man was different from the one he had loved in another lifetime, Prompto was proud of Noctis. He had grown into his role and Prompto was glad to see that Ignis had appeared to have stepped into a part of the role in Noctis’ life that Prompto had once played. It was a relief to see that Noctis still had a form of emotional support.

Now that they were all gathered, the question was where should they go from here. True to Ravus’ word, Camelia Claustra had taken all of them in with open arms and kept them all concealed directly under the Empire’s nose. The trouble was that Prompto knew exactly just how much had gone wrong with the trial of Leviathan. He did not know exactly what had caused Ignis to lose his sight as the Advisor had never shared the details of that particular tale with anyone, not even Noctis, before his passing in the original timeline. What he did know was that Luna was stabbed by Ardyn at the altar of Leviathan. The trouble was that Prompto couldn’t be in two places at the same time in order to prevent both tragedies.

They all were gathered in a large living area trying to plot out the safest way to undertake Leviathan’s trial when the air in the room abruptly grew ice cold. Gentiana entered the room and allowed her messenger form to fall away, revealing herself to be Shiva to all assembled, to the shock of everyone except for Prompto and Luna.

“King of Light,” Shiva greeted Noctis. “The time of the Prophecy is now at hand. The King must prepare to face his greatest trial. A time of great darkness will soon fall upon us all, a darkness that none other than the King can defeat.”

“How can I defeat this darkness?” Noctis asked solemnly. 

“The Chosen King must enter into the crystal. In reflection the King shall receive the power to defeat the Accursed and return the light to the people,” Shiva replied. “Once the sacred Ring is replete with power, the True King will complete his ascension. Only then can he banish the blight upon our star. By the power of the Light alone is the Chosen King made manifest. With the Glaive of Kings, the Stone of Legend, and the Ring of Light in hand, the Chosen's power will surpass that of even the gods themselves. By that self same power, with the True King as its vessel, the darkness shall be purged from our star, and dawn shall return to our world once more. Only at the throne can the Chosen receive it, and only at the cost of a life: his own.”

Everyone froze in place as surely as if Shiva had actually turned them to statues made of ice.

The blood drained from Noctis’ face and he asked fearfully, “Is there no other way?”

Shiva shook her head. “The King of Kings shall be granted the power to banish the darkness, but the blood price must be paid. Many sacrificed all for the King, so must the King sacrifice himself for all.”

“Excuse me, I...I need a moment. I’ll be back,” Noctis said softly before he turned and fled the room.

Ignis was hot on his heels, running frantically after Noctis. Gladio stormed off, likely in search of something to punch. Everyone else wandered off to their rooms struggling to process the full weight of the prophecy as Shiva vanished from sight.

‘No!’ Prompto thought frantically. ‘Please! This cannot have all been for nothing!

_These words are only heard by the King’s Knight. You shall have your chance to save the King, his life is not yet forfeit. Yet certain events still must come to pass. The King of Light must still be willing to sacrifice his life. He must still ascend the throne, but once the blood price has been paid, like the Phoenix he may rise should the Knight be on hand to reach the King in time._

  
All Prompto could do now was pray that he would be fast enough when the time came.

*******

The next morning, when everyone emerged from their rooms, and regathered in the living area, Ignis appeared defeated and resigned but Prompto could see that Noctis was in full blown king mode. 

“Luna,” Noctis asked, “can you ask Shiva if she would speak with me again?” 

Shiva instantly appeared in an icy blast of air that filled the entire room and said, “The Glacian will speak with the Chosen King freely so as not to tax the waning strength of the Oracle.”

Noctis narrowed his eyes, “What do you mean waning strength?”

“The Rites of the Covenants are a great burden on the Oracle,” Shiva answered. “A burden she chooses to freely endure but drains the force of her life.”

“Last night you said that by entering into the crystal, I shall receive a power greater than that of the Six themselves,” Noctis said slowly as he weighed this new information. “If that’s the case then is it truly necessary to receive the blessing of all of the Six? Is waking Leviathan and causing destruction to Altissia even necessary?”

Shiva smiled and simply answered, “No, but the Glacian would bestow her blessing upon the King of Light freely.” Shiva leaned in and gently kissed Noctis on the forehead and then disappeared in a flash of light.  
  


“Okay then,” Noctis said. “I have a plan so let’s get to work.”

Prompto was amazed as he watched Noctis rapidly roll the plan he’d developed into motion.

“Secretary Claustra, as I am not on Lucian soil right now, would you please witness and record the decree that I need to make?”

“Certainly, your Majesty.”

“I hereby decree, Ignis Scientia to be my second in command in all things in my absence and officially name him my heir to the throne of Lucis.” 

Noctis turned to Ignis and said, “Please return to Lucis with my blessing and take care of my people." Then he turned to Gladio and said solemnly, “Gladio, you are Ignis’ shield now. Protect him as you would me.”

Then Noctis turned to Ravus and Luna and said, “I know I have no jurisdiction over you but as a friend, I urge you both to return to Tennebrae to protect your people and each other. I don’t know how long it will take me to absorb the power I need to end this once and for all and the world will need the Oracle during the coming darkness.”

“Oh, Noctis,” Luna cried. “I will do as you ask and will be at your side when the time comes to deliver our star from its blight.”

Prompto held his breath as Noctis approached him. “Quicksilver, would you be willing to undertake another mission with me?”

Prompto nodded and waited to hear what Noctis wanted him to do.

“After all of my friends are safely away from here, I’m going to request that the Madam Secretary turn me into the Empire. If you are implanted in the arresting team of MT’s would you be able to help me get to crystal once they take me to Gralea?”

Prompto picked up a pen and scratched out his answer.

_Yes_

*******

Things moved rapidly from there. Noctis’ plan was pulled off without a hitch and Prompto easily managed to arrange to be the specific MT who ‘arrested’ Noctis, ensuring that no one else would be able to lay a hand on the man that he loved. Noctis went quietly so there was no need for elaborate restraints and Prompto remained at his side as his jailer all the way to Zenugus Keep.

They fought together side by side through the keep until they finally reached the Crystal. Noctis paused and looked at Prompto almost as if he could really see him beneath his metal encasement. Prompto’s heart skipped a beat. He longed to reach out and kiss Noctis but it wasn’t his place...not anymore. Instead he held Noctis’ gaze and shared in the quiet mournful moment as Noctis gathered himself.

“Be seeing you,” Noctis said, his voice shaky but determined. Then he stepped forward, willingly entered into the light of the Crystal and was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

“Ignis, Gladio, Luna, Ravus, Quicksilver, I leave it to you. Walk tall my friends.”

Noctis disappeared up the stairs for the second time in Prompto’s lifetime and as an army of daemons spawned before them Prompto knew that he had precious little time and yet he hesitated, reluctant to abandon his companions to the deadly threat.

Luna stood tall and brandished her trident, which was glowing with a heavenly light that was as bright as the long missing sun. She looked like a warrior goddess in action as she channeled that light into a weapon that atomized any daemon that dared to come close. Gladio, Ignis, and Ravus fell at once into the fray, determined to defend their friend and King one final time.

Luna’s battle stance never faltered as she swept the beam of light across the front line of daemons and faced Prompto with a graceful turn of her head. “We’ve got this handled, Quicksilver. Go to him with the grace of the Gods.” 

With a grateful nod of acknowledgement, Prompto turned on his heel and fled up the Citadel stairs as swiftly as his legs could carry him.

“Kings of Lucis, come to me!”

Prompto arrived in the throne room just in time to see Noctis get pinned to the throne by his father’s sword. As he ran to get to Noctis in time to administer a Phoenix Down an army of daemons abruptly manifested in front of him. He fought his way through the frey desperate to reach Noctis before it was too late.

He took a sharp blow to the head from an Iron Giant that shattered the optical sensors in his helmet. Prompto had never attempted to remove the mask before, believing it to be tied to his life support functions, but with no other option he is forced to discard the damaged helmet entirely. Mercifully, he discovered that he could still breathe without the helmet or the mask and he continued to fight, dodging and weaving through the endless waves of daemons that were preventing him from reaching his goal.

Light began to descend at the horizon and the daemons let out a final shriek as they dissolved into nothing. The way finally cleared, Prompto raced up the intimidating flight of stairs to finally reach Noctis where he was pinned to the throne. He removed the sword as carefully as he could and caught Noctis gently in his arms as he fell forward. Lowering Noct to the ground, Prompto cradled his lifeless body in his arms and as he prayed to Shiva with all of his might that he wasn’t too late, he crushed the plume of the phoenix feather in Noctis’ hand.

For one long horrible moment, Prompto thought that he had failed, that he wasn’t fast enough, and that he’d lost Noctis forever for nothing. But then Noctis took in a desperate gasp of air as the energy of the feather was absorbed into his being and he rose from the ashes like the bird the plume had once belonged to.

Noctis stared at Prompto’s face in wonder, seeing it uncovered for the first time in this lifetime, and Prompto suddenly felt terrifyingly exposed.

“It’s you,” Noctis said as if in a daze as he reached up to caress Prompto’s bare cheek. “I’ve had this feeling my whole life that something...that _someone_ important was missing.”

Prompto’s eyes widened in fear and disbelief. He scrambled wildly to his feet and ran towards the enormous doors of the throne room.

“Please don’t go!” Noctis called after him as he struggled to pull himself into a standing position. “All this time you’ve been helping us, for no reason that we could figure out. You saved Jared. You saved Ignis. You’ve saved me. Gods...Prompto.”

Prompto froze at the sound of his name...his actual name falling from Noctis’ lips and turned around to stare at him in utter disbelief.

“That’s your name, isn’t it?” Noctis asked softly, as he slowly moved to close the distance between them. “I’ve dreamed about you... dreamt about a boy whose heart was too big for this world. I kept expecting to see you at school. I kept waiting for you to find me and you _did_ . You were right in front of me all of this time and I just didn’t see it.” Noctis reached out his hand and tenderly cupped Prompto’s cheek as he mused, “I should have realized, _Quicksilver..._ your name, your _real_ name is _Prompto Argentum_.”

Tears streamed from Prompto’s face, uncontrolled and unbidden as Noctis unravelled all of his emotional defenses in an instant. He’d known that Noctis wasn’t going to make this easy for him to walk away, although he never expected to be _recognized..._ that some lingering aspect of memory would have somehow managed to imprint itself on _this_ version of Noctis. But Prompto hadn’t come this far only to fail now. He forced himself to turn and walk away from Noctis before it was too late and the Gods decided that Prompto wasn’t going to fulfill his end of the bargain and smite Noctis down in punishment for not paying the price that was demanded of him. 

“Prompto, please,” Noctis begged. “Don’t walk away! You belong here. I know it!”

Prompto’s heart shattered with every word but he forced himself to keep moving toward the doors.

Noctis ran to catch up with him and grabbed Prompto’s wrist preventing him from escaping, “I don’t care that you’re an MT if that’s what you’re worried about. You’re my friend, Prompto! You saved my life and the lives of countless others. You don’t have to run. Please stay and help me to make this world a better place.”

Prompto shook his head sadly and gently moved to pry his wrist free from Noctis’ grip.

Noctis released him with a frustrated growl and said, “I don’t understand why you have to leave!”

The air chilled in an abrupt frost and the Glacian, appeared in a flash of light. “The Knight flees from your presence, Chosen King, because he does not believe that he is permitted to stay.” 

Prompto stared at the Glacian in confusion as Noctis voiced what Prompto was thinking but wasn’t able to say, “I don’t understand.”

Shiva floated gracefully up to Prompto and took his face gently in her frozen hands. “Brave Knight of the King, banish your fear. Your price has already been paid.”

“What price?” Noctis asked.

Noctis froze in place as Shiva turned to face him, placed a kiss on his forehead and answered, “To save the life of the King of Light, the King’s Knight sacrificed the life he had led with the King.”

Turning back to Prompto the goddess smiled and said, “Brave knight who sacrificed so much to save so many with no thought for his own desire except that he be allowed to spare the King from his fate. The life you once led is gone, sweet soul, but there is nothing to stop you from building a new one.” Shiva kissed Prompto’s forehead. “Go forth with my blessing and be happy.”

Prompto instantly felt like the blood in his veins had transformed to liquid ice with the touch of her lips and as Shiva faded from view in a gentle shimmer of light he involuntarily gasped at the sensation. As the frozen sensation gradually faded Prompto was suddenly struck by the realization that for the first time since he had awoken in this version of his life that he’d gasped _audibly._

“Prom?” Noctis asked with a trembling voice.

Prompto raised his eyes to meet Noctis’ and the look of wonderment and recognition was unmistakable. This was more than just phantom memories from Noctis’ dreams, somehow, miraculously, Prompto knew without a doubt that this was _his_ Noct. Tears ran freely down Noctis’ face and he looked at Prompto with such love and adoration that Prompto could physically feel it in every fiber of his being. 

“Prom?” Noctis said his name like it was a prayer. He looked at him like he was afraid that Prompto was going to shatter into a million pieces before his eyes. “I remember.”

Prompto swallowed hard. He didn’t know if this would work but if Shiva’s kiss had somehow merged both Noctis’ he had known into one man then maybe...just maybe… He took a deep breath and for the first time in forever attempted to speak.

“Noct?”

Prompto was shocked at the sound of his own voice after being without it for so long. It sounded raspy and dry but Noctis’ smile was radiant as he quickly moved to close the distance between them. He gathered Prompto in his arms and gently wiped away the trail of tears that Prompto hadn’t even realized were still streaking down his face. “You did it, Prom. You saved me.”

“Gods, Noct!” Prompto sobbed as he buried his face into Noctis’ neck and clung to him tightly. 

“I love you,” Noctis murmured softly in his ear. “Even when I didn’t know you, I loved you.”

“I love you too, Noct.” Prompto whispered, still in disbelief that after all this time he had his voice back. That he could actually _speak._ “I love you so damn much!”

They stood there, clinging to each other for a moment that felt like an eternity before Prompto gained enough composure to look up. He cupped Noctis’ cheeks gently, scarcely believing that he was allowed to after all of this time, leaned in and kissed him as softly and sweetly as he was able.

The full light of the morning sun had begun to filter through the windows of the throne room, and with it, began to fill up a place that had for so long been a place of death and despair with hope and promise. 

  
Noctis reached out, took Prompto’s hand in his own, and they walked out of the Citadel to greet the dawn and face a new beginning... _together_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. This was my largest story undertaking so far and I may revisit aspects of it in the future to show missing scenes that might be better conveyed from other points of view. Comments and kudos are always appreciated so please let me know if you enjoyed the story. If you haven't already done so, please also be sure to give some love to Aiko_lpez for their utterly stunning artwork. 
> 
> https://twitter.com/aiko_lpez


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